MikeM

This is all I buy anymore. $44.95. Sometimes on sale, $39.95. 12 month free replacement. 60 month guarantee. I've bought about 12-15 of these batteries in the last five years. So far, so good.

babbah

Odyssey Batteries are spectacular and last 10 years!

Ironcross

Use a 34 series battery of at least 850 cranking power and forget about battery issues......over the years we sold most of the brands and some only had different names and cases
































































































































+ng power----------------------------

C2 Hot Cam Guy

Optima s work great in a c2

ohiovet

lI always used Delco batteries but the price is out of control and the warranty sucks.
Rural King batteries are made by Exide and cost less then half of an equivalent Delco and have a multi year warrenty and pro rate after the warranty period.

MikeM

These battery threads always end when I post about Rural King batteries. I think these guys are afraid if they pop their hood and somebody looks down there and sees a "farm" battery, they'll be made fun of but be totally safe with a high dollar Delco, Optima, Interstate or other.

babbah

If you want to buy ONE battery and forget about it for 10+ years then the Odyssey Battery is for you! Mine is from 2009 and still going strong!

GTOguy

The Walmart battery in my '67 GTO is dated 2002, and the car sits. The same Walmart battery in my '65 GTO is 2004 and the car sits. Both still work fine. But I know I am on borrowed time. I've NEVER had a car battery go 15 years, let alone one I paid less than $30 for!!! We'll see how long these batteries hold on. Maybe another year or two?

tommyn

I just had to replace a 2005 optima red top in my 1960. I looked and the local Walmarts did not have the group size I needed. The Chevrolet dealer had the Delco on the shelf and with the regular customer discount it was $80. I have had good luck in the past with OE Delco batteries lasting 7-9 years.

ren

There are many opinions in this thread . They are all valid because they are based on everyones personal experience. There are quite a few negative comments about Optima battery's. My experience has been very positive. You can't argue about the price, they are one of the more expensive brand one the market. In my case I consider it money well spent. My redtop is over 12 years old and still works fine. Last spring it was completely dead. I realized that my newly repaired clock probably drained it over the winter. Due to it's age I was just going to replace it. I put it on a charger and it worked fine all of last year. Have it on a float charger now.I'll see what happens when I try to start it in the spring When I have to replace it, I will probably buy another Optima.

ohiovet

I believe you need a specific charger for Optima batteries or you can ruin the battery.
My CTEK charger will charge them although I do not use Optima batteries.

SoCalErv

What did you specifically purchase, do you have a picture.

Same here, wanting something that looks era correct without going the restoration battery route.

daz_au

I think the Optimas were made pretty well in 2005, I also just replaced a redtop in another car and it was installed June 2005. I usually disconnect when not in use, but I think I killed this optima by leaving the car for a few months connected. In any case, 11+ years is ok.

I have a 3yo yellow top in the vette now, interested to see how that goes.

Probably worth pointing out the 2005 battery clearly says "Made in Aurora, Colorado" on the top and the new one has a tiny sticker saying "Made in Mexico". Something tells me Optima batteries are about to get even more expensive than they already are !

JL66REDCPE

I was going to post a similar statement however it was my understanding that GEL batteries and AGM batteries are two different animals. A battery charger could be ok for AGM and not ok for GEL.

I have a charger that is ok for AGM however it specifies not to use with GEL.

Agree / Disagree

DSR

I have had an Optima Red Top battery in my car for over 10 years & 50,000 miles. It still seems to work fine.

babbah

I had 2 RedTops die in 6 months - IMO stay away from them!

Mikado463

then why in the Good Lords green earth would you continue with them ??? .........

seriously .......anytime one is put in a position to use a warranty on anything and it 'sucks' makes zero sense to return to that product IMO...... but then perhaps I'm missing something ??

rtruman

I have used Interstate for years

ejboyd5

Routinely get 10+ years from Wal-Mart batteries without external chargers or battery tenders. Cars kept in unheated garages with only occasional winter use. I credit the battery disconnect switch for this longevity. Best performance to date - 16+ years with a Group 24 Sears 36 Month green top battery.

As an aside and with no hard evidence to back this up, I theorize that many are actually shortening their batteries' lives by constant use of so-called "tenders." Employ a disconnect to remove all load from the battery, don't disturb its rest by constantly trying to replace the minuscule amount of energy lost to decay and your battery will live a long, happy life.

rtruman

I use the tender on generators and lawn equipment only